Salvia plant named ‘Amistad’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Salvia , ‘Amistad’ characterized by its flowers that are mauve purple in color, its blooms that commences early in the season, its long blooming habit with new shoots producing flowers throughout the summer, its sterility, and its relatively short height, and its growth habit that lacks spreading roots.

Botanical classification: Salvia hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Amistad’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Salvia of hybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Amistad’. ‘Amistad’ is an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.

‘Amistad’ was discovered by one of the Inventors as a naturally occurring whole plant mutation in February of 2007 in a garden bed in Lanús, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. The new cultivar is believed to be a hybrid of unnamed plants of Salvia gaurantica and Salvia gesnerifolia based on the characteristics of the new cultivar and their proximity to the discovered plant. The exact parents are unknown.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by one of the Inventors by vegetative stem cuttings in June 2010 in Hereford, United Kingdom. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Amistad’ as a unique cultivar of Salvia.

-   -   1. ‘Amistad’ exhibits flowers that are mauve purple in color.     -   2. ‘Amistad’ commences bloom early in the season.     -   3. ‘Amistad’ exhibits a long blooming habit with new shoots         producing flowers throughout the summer.     -   4. ‘Amistad’ has been observed to be sterile.     -   5. ‘Amistad’ has been observed to lack spreading roots.     -   6. ‘Amistad’ reaches a height of about 1 meter.         ‘Amistad’ can be compared to plants of the species that are         thought to be the parents. Plants of Salvia gaurantica differ         from ‘Amistad’ in commencing bloom later in the season, in         having flowers that are blue in color, and in having roots with         a more spreading habit. Plants of Salvia gesnerifolia differ         from ‘Amistad’ in being taller in height, in having stems that         are woodier, in being less cold hardy, in commencing bloom later         in the season, and in having flowers that are orange-red in         color. ‘Amistad’ can also be compared to the Salvia gaurantica         cultivars ‘Black and Blue’ (not patented) and ‘Argentine Skies’         (not patented). ‘Black and Blue’ differs from ‘Amistad’ in being         taller in height, in commencing bloom later in the season, in         producing viable seeds, and in having flowers that are blue in         color. ‘Argentine Skies’ differs from ‘Amistad’ in being taller         in height, in commencing bloom later in the season, and in         having flowers that are light blue in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of an 8 month-old plant of the new Salvia as grown in a two-gallon container in Watsonville, Calif.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a view of ‘Amistad’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of ‘Amistad’.

The colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Salvia.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar of plants grown for 8-months from liner in two-gallon containers in full sun in Watsonville, Calif. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—Late May to at least late September in             Hereford, United Kingdom.         -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Plant habit.—Upright, well-branched, non spreading.         -   Plant size.—Reaches about 1 m in height and 76 cm in spread             without pinching.         -   Cold hardiness.—At least to temperatures of 17° F.         -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to             diseases or pests has been observed.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, non-spreading. -   Growth and propagation:     -   -   Propagation.—Vegetative stem cuttings.         -   Growth rate.—Moderately vigorous. -   Stem description:     -   -   Shape.—4-angled.         -   Stem color.—New growth; 145B suffused with N77A, mature             stems; 144A with striations of 144B becoming bark-like at             base 148A with striations of 197D.         -   Stem size.—Stem base; about 2.5 cm in diameter, main stems;             an average of 1 cm in diameter and 50 cm in length, lateral             branches; average of 5 mm in diameter and an up to 27 cm in             length.         -   Stem surface.—New growth; pubescent, mature stems; sparsely             covered with glandular hairs, base of stem; fissured             (bark-like).         -   Internode length.—3 cm between branches and between leaves.         -   Branching.—Average of 3 main stems, an average of 10 lateral             braches per stem, an average of 6 sub-lateral flowering             branches per lateral branch. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Ovate.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Broadly cuneate.         -   Leaf apex.—Acuminate.         -   Leaf fragrance.—Mint-like.         -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, 144B in color on upper surface, 147C             in color on lower surface.         -   Leaf margins.—Serrated.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous and dull on upper surface and lower             surface.         -   Leaf size.—Up to 4.5 cm in length and 3.4 cm in width.         -   Leaf color.—Newly expanded leaves; upper surface 137B and             144A near base, lower surface 147B, mature leaves; upper             surface a blend of 137A to N137A, lower surface 147B.         -   Petioles.—Up to 2.2 cm in length and 1.5 mm in width, 144A             in color, puberulent surface. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal branched raceme of bilabiate             flowers.         -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Individual flowers about 5             days on a plant in a container or in the garden, not             persistent.         -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 10 cm in length and 6 cm             in width.         -   Flower type.—Tubular-bilabiate.         -   Flower number.—An average of 25 per inflorescence.         -   Flower fragrance.—None.         -   Flower buds.—Tubular in shape, about 2 cm in length and 8 mm             in diameter, a blend of N186B and N189A in color (calyx             portion) with apex 93A.         -   Flower size.—About 6 cm in length (including extended             pistil) and about 1 cm in diameter.         -   Peduncle.—An average of 14 cm in length and 2 mm in width, a             blend of N186B and N189A in color, surface is densely             covered with glandular hairs, flower internode length an             average of 7 mm.         -   Pedicels.—About 6 mm in length and 1 mm in width, N189B in             color, surface is pubescent.         -   Calyx.—Tubular, about 1.5 cm in length and 1 cm in width,             persistent for about a week after petals drop.         -   Sepals.—2, fused at base with very apex free that is             triangular in shape, 5 mm in length and width, apex             mucronate, entire margin, a blend of N186B and N189A in             color, surface is finely puberulent and lustrous.         -   Petals.—2, arranged in 2 lips fused into tube at base, tube;             about 3 cm in length and 8 mm in width, 86B in color with             very base NN155C, lustrous surface, upper lip; held upright             to tube and slightly protruding outward, curved into renal             shape around pistil and stamens, about 1.5 cm in length and             5 mm in width, 86B in color with very base NN155C, velvety             on outer surface and lustrous on inner surface, apex single             notched, base fused to tube, lower lip; oval in shape with             sides recurved, margin entire, apex 2 notched, base fused,             surface velvety on upper surface and lustrous on lower             surface, about 1.2 cm in length and 7 mm in width, a blend             of N186B and N189A in color on outer and inner surface with             central area (crest-like) on inner surface suffused with             N87D. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil, about 5 cm in length with about 1 cm             exserted beyond corolla, style is about 4.6 cm in length,             0.8 mm in width and NN155B in color with very apex 86B with             hairs 86B in color, stigma is bifid with arms about 3 mm in             length, linear in shape and 86A in color, ovary is superior,             oblong in shape, about 3 mm in length and 2 mm in diameter             and 158A in color.         -   Androcoecium.—2 stamens, filaments are 85B in color, about             1.8 cm in length and 0.8 mm in width, attached to lobe sides             with linear arms about 2.5 mm in length and 85B in color             with base N89A, fused at base, anthers are about 3 mm in             length, N89A in color and dorsifixed, pollen is abundant in             quantity and about 159B in color.         -   Fruit and seed.—Observed to be sterile with no viable seeds             formed. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Salvia plant named ‘Amistad’ as herein illustrated and described. 